It’s official! The nation’s public transportation systems logged a 5.2% jump in ridership in the second quarter, according to industry figures released this week, as record-high gas prices pushed people to take millions more trips on buses and rail systems.

It’s too bad that higher ridership doesn’t necessarily translate to higher revenue for districts. The national surge in riders is straining many agencies that don’t have the funds to expand service. Many systems are struggling just to maintain the service they already offer because of their own rising fuel costs.

What are some American cities planning? New York City officials are planning to experiment with seatless subway cars next spring to squeeze in more riders. In Boston, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is using longer trains on the T and increasing the frequency of some bus and rail services. In Washington, they’re pushing for bus-only lanes as a way to encourage people to ride buses and relieve pressure on the crowded subway.

Perhaps it’s time to adopt some of Japan’s alternatives and hire subway attendants to literally push and squeeze extra passengers into the subway cars.

Toyota considers using American base for exporting to Middle East and Asia

Increasingly sluggish SUV sales, rising material costs and the strengthening Yen are all reasons for why Toyota plans to begin shipping automobiles manufactured in the United States to the Middle East. The credit crunch coupled with increasing oil prices has forced many Americans to move away from giant, gas-guzzling SUVs into more energy efficient sedans. Today oil reached a new high of over $129 a barrel with no immediate slowdown in sight.

Currently, the Avalon is being exported to the Middle East and Toyota plans to begin shipping Sequoias to an area where demand for family vehicles has steadily increased. In the United States, Toyota’s sales for the Sequoia fell 30%, which is a strong statement to be made about the dynamic US automotive market. Sequoias should begin to ship this year and there is the possibility that Sienna minivans could begin exporting to China as early as 2010.

What does this mean for the consumer who still needs a large family SUV and can foot the cost of increasing gas prices? Prices for large SUVs should begin to dramatically decrease as inventories pile up and dealers scramble to get their vehicles off their lots. Check out AutoBrag.com’s New Car Price Search Engine to find an incredible deal on Toyota Sequoias in your area.

A 2010 deadline forces manufacturer to work overtime

After losing $1 billion on the development of the EV1, General Motors completely dropped any serious discussion on building a green vehicle. However with gas prices hitting new highs and competitors starting to adjust production to consumer demands, GM is starting to feel the pinch in their pocketbook - the auto manufacturer recorded a $15 billion loss in 2005.

That’s enough to get anyone to shift gears from their current business model into a more consumer-centric one. SUVs are losing their appeal as gas prices continue to rise. GM has recently decided to drop production on a new sedan and minivan in order to support the $8.1 billion research and development budget focused primarily on green vehicles.

One of the biggest obstacles for GM will be trying to cram years of research and development into a short timeframe with the promise of an electric vehicle in 2010. In order to get the Volt into production, GM is going to have to push their 22,000 engineers to the limit to develop an incredible battery for a an incredibly hyped electric vehicle. Ford and Chrysler have already started to put out hybrid vehicles and Toyota is leading the pack with hybrids in both their Lexus and mainstay Toyota fleets, so this could be a do-or-die scenario for the American giant. Can GM successfully migrate from gas guzzler to gas free and still produce a reliable vehicle? We’ll have to wait and see how things unfold.

VW plans to release super-efficient vehicle in 2010

That’s right - 2010. Motor Authority reported late last year that Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn confirmed that the VW L1 could potentially hit the market in 2010. Fuel consumption is reported to be around 1L/100km, which translates into 235 miles per gallon. 

The 0.3L one-cylinder engine would reach a top speed of 75 mph according to EcoGeek. A highway vehicle that gets over 200 mpg? This sounds too good to be true.The obvious drawback to this vehicle is styling. Another interesting thing to note: this two-seater is different than most because the passenger sits behind the driver.

Are you willing to sacrifice styling for fuel efficiency? The savings can be tremendous as you could already imagine. Suppose your current vehicle gets 26 mpg highway and you drive an average of 12,000 miles per year. Let’s also say gas will remain at $4.00 throughout the year. You will spend approximately $1848 on gas per year, but if you drive the VW L1 you only spend $208 per year - that’s a savings of $1600!

2010 is still a couple years away so you have some time to think about your next vehicle purchase.

I don’t want to get run over by a quiet car

Gas-electric hybrid vehicles, the status symbol for the environmentally conscientious, are coming under attack from the blind. Because hybrids make virtually no noise at slower speeds when they run solely on electric power, blind people say they pose a hazard to those who rely on their ears to determine whether it’s safe to cross the street or walk through a parking lot.“I hadn’t imagined there was anything I really wouldn’t be able to hear,” said Deborah Kent Stein, chairwoman of the National Federation of the Blind’s Committee on Automotive and Pedestrian Safety. “We did a test, and I discovered, to my great dismay, that I couldn’t hear it.”

The tests (admittedly unscientific) involved people standing in parking lots or on sidewalks who were asked to signal when they heard several different hybrid models drive by. “People were making comments like, ‘When are they going to start the test?‘ And it would turn out that the vehicle had already done two or three laps around the parking lot,” Stein said.

National Federation of the Blind  President Marc Maurer was quick to point out that they’re not advocating a return to gas guzzlers. They’d just like the fuel-efficient hybrids to make some noise. “I don’t want to get run over by a quiet car,” Maurer said. Manufacturers are aware of the problem but have made no pledges yet. Toyota is studying the issue internally. The Association of International Auto Manufacturers and the Society of Automotive Engineers are considering the possibility of setting a minimum noise level standard for hybrid vehicles.

How Russia Is Increasing Their Population

Don’t be surprised if the streets are empty and curtains drawn in this central Russian region Wednesday as residents take up an offer by the regional governor to help stem Russia’s demographic crisis. Ulyanovsk Gov. Sergei Morozov has decreed Sept. 12 a Day of Conception and is giving couples time off from work to procreate. Couples who give birth nine months later on Russia’s national day — June 12– will receive money, cars, refrigerators and other prizes. It’s the third year that the Volga River region, about 550 miles east of Moscow, has held the contest. Since then, the number of competitors — and the number of babies born — has been on the rise. June 12 is a significant day because it is the holiday known as Russia Day (when the Russian parliament formally declared its sovereignty).

Russia’s population has dropped since the 1991 Soviet collapse, fed by declining birth rates, a low life expectancy, a spike in emigration, a frayed health care system and other factors. Just 311 women signed up to take part in the first competition, in 2005, and qualify for a half-day off from work. The next June, 46 more babies were born in Ulyanovsk’s 25 hospitals compared to the previous June, including 28 born on June 12. Women who give birth to their second or third child receive $10,000 vouchers to pay for education or home repairs. Couples preparing for conception day have given local lingerie stores a financial boost. The town hall also has seen an increase in marriages among wannabe parents.

In South Korea, the rule of law was no match for the strength of Hyundai Motor Co.

Convicted of embezzling $110 million, Hyundai Chairman Chung Mong-koo was deemed too important to South Korea’s economy to be sent to prison. The three-judge panel suspended his three-year prison sentence, a decision denounced by corporate reform activists. In reversing Chung’s sentence, presiding Judge Lee Jae-hong told a packed courtroom in Seoul, “I was unwilling to engage in a gamble that would put the nation’s economy at risk.” South Korean courts have a history of being soft on white-collar crime, especially toward powerful, family-owned conglomerates called chaebols that dominate the nation’s economy and wield political influence. Lee told Chung to work hard and fulfill his social responsibilities, including making charitable donations (into the judge’s bank account). A solemn Chung bowed and said, “Yes, I will.”

Who needs a car when you can fly your way to work

After 30 years of research, a California company unveiled plans for a $90,000 hovercraft called the M200G Volantor. Moller’s machine can fly up to 100 mph at 10 feet off the ground. The disk-shaped craft runs off of ethanol and is an ultra-low emissions vehicle. It predicts making about 250 a year. Start saving for one now! The price is down from its $1 mil predecessor. The firm said the craft is relatively quiet, registering about 85 decibels from 30 feet away. Though a whisper compared to a jet taking off, 85 dbs. is the threshold for hearing loss if exposed to it for a period of time. Sign me up!

Driving While Blind

An Estonian man was pulled over because he was driving abnormally. The officers found a 20 year old driver escorted by a 16 year old passenger. Assuming that the driver was drunk, they sought to administer a breathalyzer test, but the driver kept missing the tube he needed to blow into. They finally realized the driver was blind and was navigating the car based on instructions given to him by his 16 year old sidekick. He couldn’t be any worse than some of the people WITH eyes.